Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
Posted on August 18, 2013 by Naomi Bilmes
From my blog: In preparation for Elul, returning to Israel, and because Torah is awesome, I presented this d’var Torah at my synagogue tonight during seudat shlishit. I thought some of you might enjoy reading it. Shabbat Ki Tetzeh Seudat Shlishit D’var Torah By Naomi Bilmes Shabbat Shalom. This week’s parsha, Ki Tetzeh, is full Continue Reading »
Posted on May 27, 2013 by Tadea Klein
My dvar Torah from the Galil Shabbaton: First of all, I would like to thank Adam Masser (Spring ’12, Year ’13), who gave me the perfect set up — and we didn’t even plan it. I also am going to talk about lashon ha-rah, specifically the consequences of it. I believe that the most telling Continue Reading »
Posted on April 6, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media
R. Joshua Ratner (Pardes Year ’98-’99) is the rabbi of Congregation Kol Ami in Cheshire, CT. Ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary in May 2012, Rabbi Ratner was a Joseph Neubauer Fellow and also earned a Master’s Degree in Midrash and a Certificate in Pastoral Care. He also worked as an attorney for five years Continue Reading »
Posted on March 11, 2013 by David Bogomolny
I discovered the following text during an Ayeka session, and found it very challenging… then, in spiritual havruta, I fought with myself to think about this with an open mind, and I’d like to share my subsequent thoughts further below. אור ישראל, הרבי מסאלאנט Ohr Yisrael, Rav Yisrael of Salant מהו מהות של יראת שמים? “What is Continue Reading »
Posted on January 11, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media
Alum Daniel Shibley (Fellows ’12) is on a roll! Check out this dvar Torah for Parshat Va’era: Well documented in Facebook photos and through the news outlets are the rain and snow that have fallen throughout the State of Israel over the last several days. While Jerusalem has not seen snow like this in nearly Continue Reading »
Posted on January 20, 2012 by Barer
This week’s parsha documents the well-known story of Moshe and Aharon repeatedly coming before Pharoah asking to go worship Hashem, only to be repeatedly rebuffed, even in the fact of nasty plagues (this week’s parsha has the first eight). There are so many points of focus to pick from when you are dealing with the Continue Reading »
Posted on September 20, 2011 by Avi Strausberg
parshat ki tavo, in which God reveals His master plan of divine reward and punishment, is a doozy to read. and by doozy, i mean incredibly difficult and theologically challenging. God unleases a litany of curses that will befall the israelites if they fail to obey the covenant. and lest you think “hey, this curse Continue Reading »
Posted on July 14, 2011 by Avi Strausberg
in this week’s parsha, after yet another plague in which an empassioned God wipes out large numbers of israelities, 24,000 to be exact, God tells moshe to take another census of the jewish people. the last census was back in the beginning of parshat bamidbar, where we reached a grand total of 603,550 israelites. and Continue Reading »
Posted on June 21, 2011 by Avi Strausberg
in this week’s parsha, there is a fair amount of death. entire families are swallowed up by the earth. a raging fire consumes two hundred and fifty men. an infectious plague spreads wildly and kills fourteen thousand and seven hundred people. this is the price for challenging authority. these deaths are all in retaliation for Continue Reading »
Posted on March 27, 2011 by Tamara Frankel
Dear Friends, This past week’s parsha includes one of the few narratives in the book of Vayikra, namely the divinely ordained death of Aaron’s sons, Nadav and Avihu, upon presenting their voluntary fire offering. But the telling of the acts of Nadav and Avihu and their subsequent deaths are brief and perplexing. We do not Continue Reading »
